109 shot, 19 dead in Chicago over the holiday weekend

Over the holiday weekend, 109 people were shot in Chicago between the morning of Thursday, July 4, and the night of Sunday, July 7. There were 19 fatalities, including an 8-year-old child and two mothers.

The violence included four mass shootings, prompting Chicago’s Police Superintendent Larry Snelling and Mayor Brandon Johnson, D, to hold a joint news conference on the morning of July 8.

“Sometimes this violence comes out of petty arguments,” Snelling said. “People who’ve been together all day, they come together as a group, they’ve been drinking, tempers flare and people decide they’re going to air out their differences through violence, especially gun violence.”

Police report that some of the wounded victims are still fighting for their lives. This violence represents a 27% increase in the Windy City during the same time period in 2023.

Snelling emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable.

“What we want to do is make sure we provide all the services we can,” he said. “But we also want to prevent this type of behavior. The only way to do that is to apprehend those who are committing these crimes and then hold them accountable, keeping them off the streets so that they can’t do it again.”

Mayor Johnson expressed heartbreak and concern about the easy availability of illegal guns. He praised the Chicago Police for working tirelessly to keep the city safe but urged everyone to play a role in stopping the vicious cycle of violence.

“We need our entire city to step up in this moment,” Johnson said. “I’m urging all of you across the entire city to say we’ve had enough. Let me be clear: This is a choice. It’s a choice to kill.”

Johnson also attended a rally on Friday, July 5, to “promote bonding, support and healing.”

Police disclosed that several of the people shot over the holiday weekend were 15 to 16 years old.

The post 109 shot, 19 dead in Chicago over the holiday weekend appeared first on Straight Arrow News .